The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-02-04

Gay, clean IS . new brass rarGea,
and psovisioned fjr = month.
"Now let me understand; WREN tie
ship is hove to. you viii sling the loass-
boat averf"
Il explained ali that BEFORE" lie
answered. grufily. mot that"
" You're hsngin' OH tidy bit about
them there boats. What do YOU
Think"
II suppose my life is rs good as
yours, and that have right to find
out how we are to abandon this ship
and make the Shore" l answered.
with some show of warmth, nv object
being to get all the information from
him that was possible to be drawn.
You'll get the long-boat alongside,
and all hands will jump into herr Is
that it,"
why, wot do you think we'd get
the boat alongside for if we didn't get
into herr" he replied. with Kind of
growing laugh.
viii any body be left on the shipp"
Anybody left on the ship?' he exc
claimed. fetching a Sudden breath.
"Wot's put that in yer head?'
II was afraid that that yellow villain,
the cook. might induce you to leave
the steward behind to take his chance
to sink or swim in her. just out of re-
venge for calling bad pork good, :"
said !. fixing my eyes upon him.
No, no, nothen OF the SORT" he
replied, quickly, and with evident
alarm. Course the cook! dye think
Is skipper to give them kind o or
Now you see what / am driving
at" said. laying my hand on his
arm, and addressing him with smile.
II really did think you meant to
leave the poor steward behind. And
what wanted to understand was how
you proposed to manage with the
boats to prevent him boarding you
that is why l was curious"
The suspicious rufian took the BAIT,
rs I meant lie should; and. putting on
an uuconeerned manner. which fitted
him as III as the pilot-iacket, which he
had stolen from the captain he had
murdered. and which he was now
wearing. inIuired: What l meant by
that? If they left the steward behind
not that they was goin' to. but to
say il, for the sake o argyment-wsst
would the management Of the boats
have to do with preventin' him board
in Of them? He didn't understand.
"Oh, nothing" I replied. with a
shrug. ''Since we are To take the
steward with US, there's an end of the
matter
Cant you explain. sir?" he cried.
striving to suppress his temper.
ut is not worth the trouble" said I;
'.because. don't You see, if even you
had made up your mind to leave the
steward on the ship. you'd only have
one man to deal W tn. What put this
matter into my head was 4 yarn l read
some time ago about ships company
wishing to leave their vessel. There
were only two boats which were service
able. and these wouldn't hold above
two-thirds of the crew. So the men
conspirei among theinseivcs-do you
understand me?"
"Yes. yes. I'm a-foi;owin' of you"
composed Of eighteen hands resolved
to lower the boats and get away. and
leave the others to shift FOR themselves.
But they had to actcSutiously. because,
don't you see. the fellows who were to
be left behind would become desperate
with the fear of death, and if any OF
them contrived to get into the boats
they might bagin q fight, which. if it
didn't c:Ipsize the boats. was pretty
sure to end in drowning match. OF
course, in our case. as have said. even
surprising you had made up your mind
to leave the steward behind. we should
have nothing to fear. because he
would be only one man. But when
You come to two. or three. or four men
driven mad by terror. then look out, if
they get among you in Il boat! for fear
will make two as strong as six, and |
shouldn't like to be in the boat where
such a tight was taking place
We'll. but now did them other chaps
manage rs you re teliin' ;lbout?''
why. they all got into the boats in
4 lump. and showed off we'll clear Of
the ship. The others jumped into the
"dtct .otet uhcui' Out HSNci icdSh'u
the boats. But all this doesn' hit our
case. You wished ME to explain. and
now YOU know my reasons for asking
you how you meant to manage with
the boats. Do not forget that there is
4 woman among rs. and SIGHT at the
hast moment when our lives may depend
upon orderliness and GOODNESS, may
drown US all.
And SO saving. l left him. under pre-
tense of looking at the compass.